The link to this website is also available at www.dalailama.com and www.tibet.net. After registration, kindly print the registration form to collect the Teaching Pass at Bodh Gaya. Along with the registration form you need to produce one of the following documents Passport / Aadhaar card / RC / Green Book.

Those who have already registered during His Holiness teachings in Dharamsala and 2017 Kalachakra at Bodh Gaya need not register online. You can submit your old Teaching Pass at the registration counter to collect the new Teaching Pass.

Online registration will be available from November 20, 2017 onwards

Those people who are participating in Soulful tour mindfulness retreat during the Dalai Lama teaching at Bodhgaya, please send your detail to contact@soulfultours.com. Soulful tours is taking a responsibly of your registration.

]]>https://kalachakrablog.wordpress.com/2017/11/15/2018-bodh-gaya-teachings-registration/feed/0kalachakraretreatIMG_0224IMG_0301Dalai Lama to make 50 day visit to Bodhgaya from Decemberhttps://kalachakrablog.wordpress.com/2017/11/11/dalai-lama-to-make-50-day-visit-to-bodhgaya-from-december/
https://kalachakrablog.wordpress.com/2017/11/11/dalai-lama-to-make-50-day-visit-to-bodhgaya-from-december/#respondSat, 11 Nov 2017 17:25:25 +0000http://kalachakrablog.wordpress.com/?p=471Continue reading Dalai Lama to make 50 day visit to Bodhgaya from December]]>Dalai Lama to make 50 day visit to Bodhgaya from December:With winter fast approaching the hills of Dharamshala, Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama will embark on a 50 day visit to Bodhgaya giving teachings, attending social commitments as well as taking rest, beginning December 26, sources said.

Local media in Gaya reported that Dalai Lama’s aides approached the Gaya district magistrate (DM) Kumar Ravi requesting authority for necessary arrangements of security at venue, cleanliness, power, water and health services. The DM assured support during the Tibetan leader’s stay there, which is expected to draw some 40,000 devotees.During his stay there, the Dalai Lama is scheduled to visit Sarnath on December 29 and Pune on January 9 and will leave on February 12 back to Dharamshala.

The 82 year old will also give two teachings while in Gaya. Beginning Jan. 5, he will give a three-day teaching on Dharmachakra Parivaretan Sutra on ‘The Four Noble Truths’ (chokyi khorlo korwe do) & ‘Sutra on Dependent Origination’ (tendrel chi do).

His Holiness will also give a three-day teaching on Nagarjuna’s Commentary on Bodhicitta (jangchup semdrel) & Gyalsey Thokme Sangpos’s Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva (laklen sodunma) as well as a long life offering ceremony (tenshug) to His Holiness at the request Lamyn Gegeen Tenzin Jamphel Choijisheinen Tulku from Jan. 14-16. Prior to his visit to Bihar, the Tibetan leader is scheduled to visit Mundgod and Bylakuppe Tibetan settlements where he will inaugurate new structures and give teachings there.

SOULFUL TOURS IS ORGANIZING A TWO DIFFERENT: Please find the below detail of our two tour.

Amount: The total amount of 5 Night & 6 days retreat tour in Bodhgaya is $850 USD for per person base on double sharing.

Please note: This journeys will begin and end in Bodhgaya. If you would like us to make arrangements for your internal flight, accommodation in Delhi, arrival and departure, we are happy to assist. Please let us know.

]]>https://kalachakrablog.wordpress.com/2017/11/11/dalai-lama-to-make-50-day-visit-to-bodhgaya-from-december/feed/0kalachakraretreat2014-07-07-Kalachakra-G05IMG_6809My Buddhist Experiencehttps://kalachakrablog.wordpress.com/2017/10/19/my-buddhist-experience/
https://kalachakrablog.wordpress.com/2017/10/19/my-buddhist-experience/#respondThu, 19 Oct 2017 12:32:12 +0000http://kalachakrablog.wordpress.com/?p=447Continue reading My Buddhist Experience]]>I’m not a Buddhist. I find the whole concept of Karma and an endless cycle of rebirth bemusing; for 36 years I identified with Christian ideologies.

My Buddhist Experience has been really wonderful in Dharamshala with the teachings nectar I received from HH Dalai lama.

After Anna died, it’s fair to say that me and the Big Man have had our issues. Since taking a sabbatical from work to ‘sort myself out’ I’ve read virtually the whole catalogue of classic self-help books and explored a whole range of viewpoints. The pervading theme of Buddhist philosophy is a constant in all mindfulness and modern spirituality texts.

After visiting Goa in April I had planned to visit Tibet later in the year; somewhat naively I had not realised just how hard it is to get a visa or just what Chinese rule meant for that country. So I opted for the next best thing; a trip to Dharmasala; headquarters of the Tibetan Government in exile and residence of His Holiness the 14 th Dalai Lama. I arranged the trip with Soulful Tours to coincide with His Holiness providing public teaching in his Temple on the Middle Way of Buddhism.

There are various companies providing these type of itineraries; the advantage of using Tenzin Tsogyal’s(www.Soulfultours.com) company was that a local senior monk, Geyshe, joined the small party of 5 tourists to take early morning meditation and to reflect with participants on the day’s teaching. This provided a remarkable opportunity to understand the Eastern mind and extract maximum value from the experience.

When I explained to Geyshe that I was journeying to find myself, he laughed. ‘There is the problem – ego and self are the cause of human suffering. Everything is emptiness, you will see.’ I wonder what he would have made of Jackie McHale’smore literal translation as to my reason for being there : ‘it’s time to put all your shit in one sock’.

And over the following week I did see. If Catholic buildings such as the Sistine Chapel are the Armani of religious edifice, then the Tibetan centres of Dharmashala are the Primark. I knew a little of what to expect as Nicholas Cranfield had volunteered here over a decade ago, helping the refugees in desperate poverty. Simple, sometimes ugly, concrete constructions that lack the external grandeur of the rich western religions. Yet the straightforward humility of the participants is much more impressive that the haughtiness of their Western counterparts.

This humility ranged from the the hospitality of the monks and nuns as they poured chai tea for the 4,000 or so attendees, through to the sharing of provisions brought from home by the devotees. It included the wry situational amusement at being knee to knee with a complete stranger in the half lotus position for 3 hours during the teaching and extended to shared bewilderment experienced with other travellers at the more esoteric Buddhist logic contained in the dense texts being explained. A selection of the best wisdom received is below:

‘Humans talk about hygiene as very important. Humans seek help through different things. Yet they do not apply the same rigour to the mental health as washing their hands to ensure their physical health. Our unhappiness is mostly caused by our emotions and what we think should happen.’

– HH Dalai Lama

‘Humans get into habits. How often do we hear people say ‘oh I’ll just stop tomorrow’ in relation to cigarettes or alcohol? They know that the cigarette or the alcohol is bad for them but they put off dealing with it and hope that tomorrow will be easier. Tomorrow is never easier. The most powerful negative habit is not dealing with our emotional distress or our inner anguish. We need to get on with dealing with that right now, rather than trying to wait for a more auspicious day.’

– Geshe Chamba

‘Sprouts arise from seed. Effects come from actions. Sometimes the sprout might not shoot up for years until the conditions are arise. Effects may arise from labels we give ourselves and have to live up to.’

– HH Dalai Lama

‘The root of overthinking is an attachment to a thought construct that something should be like this or like that. But you are not in control of how others behave in your paradigm.’

– HH Ling Rinpoche

‘The main problem in the western world is that you assume that you will be around for a long time as everything is permanent. This undermines both your self and others by creating counter-productive ideas. Buddha teaches that nothing is permanent.

My Buddhist Experience: In the east, people are comfortable with the concept of death. Right until the moment Westerners actually die, they think it will not happen for quite a while yet. This attitude causes you to put off achieving the great aim of real, lasting happiness. You put off doing things to make you happy for another day. Look at how animals behave compared to how humans behave. Animals do not plan ahead. It may take a badger or a rabbit a few
hours or even two days to make its borrow and then it is happy – the creature can live, nurture its young and be in the moment, not knowing when death will appear but not wasting time building extra rooms or making it look nice.

By contrast, humans spend 30 years paying for five rooms of an apartment in a city they don’t really like because it’s too busy, dirty and expensive so that they can retire to a cheaper property in the country which they can’t enjoy because they’ve burnt their health out by fighting everyone for those 30 years. It is a madness.’

– HH Dalai Lama

‘Man’s disease is to keep constantly chasing and putting pressure on ourselves. Social media is a curse. It makes us think that our life is so terrible. The reality is we are so lucky to be alive as a human. We could be a battery hen or a stray cat. What we should do is take our hand and touch our arm. We should breathe. We should rejoice that we are still alive, that we are still needed by family and friends and that in this moment nothing is hurting us.

Buddhism teaches that we can lose everything including our loves and our possessions and still be okay. It happened to Tibetans and we are still here. Humans go crazy and destroy their own peace.’

– Geshe Chamba

On the final day of the teaching, just as His Holiness had commenced the Bodhichitta blessing, which involves everyone kneeling on their right knee, a man in the audience collapsed. What happened next will stay with me forever; the Dalai Lama noticed before anyone else, stopped his blessing, called for a Doctor and then offered the man his own bottle of water which was next to him on the throne. Whilst the man was lying on the floor, His Holiness made a number of suggestions, including ensuring that no one moved the man until it was ascertained if he was epileptic and was safe from biting his tongue; insisting that the man lay down until he could be moved safely and offering for him to have a seat next to His Holiness if it would help the man breathe better. This was the leader of a nation, the living embodiment of a God and the figurehead of a worldwide religious movement. What on earth was he doing interrupting the most important ceremony in Buddhist tradition which was being webcast to over 5 million people and which was available on every TV set in India? He had 4,000 people in the Temple with him still balanced precariously on one knee, after all!

I asked Geshe Chamba about this afterwards. Why not let other people deal with the man? He was genuinely baffled by the question. ‘His Holiness is the living form of the God of Compassion. The man needed help.’ He shrugged his shoulders as if I was a fool asking an imbecilic question. There was no need for an extended explanation – the Dalai Lama stopped because he needed to.

Excuse me if I’m wrong, but I can’t see the Pope doing the same thing.

My Buddhist Experience: Alongside the discussions were private audiences with senior Buddhist religious figures; walking meditation whilst spinning huge prayers wheels circumbalating the Kora (HH’s residence and temple complex); attending ceremonies with nuns in the village; visiting hill top monasteries to consider 20 feet tall Buddhist statues; having a private consultation with a Tibetan Doctor and contemplating at the Dalai Lama’s ‘Summer Palace’ – a safe space for refugees and artisans to make a living by producing local goods.

Perhaps the most profound personal experience was penetrating the high peaks to meet with a hermit yogi who lived in a corrugated iron shack; a decade ago I’d have been amused at the concept of an old man blowing a bugle and battering a prayer drum with 5 westerners sat cross legged next to his bed; now it felt somehow fitting as a gesture of respect to a mystic who had earnestly devoted his life to mastering the higher rituals and yet chose to live in discomfort and poverty.

These are a people who have suffered tremendously, living in poverty since being dislocated from their homeland nearly 60 years ago; who lost it all, but maintain a positive ‘hope for the best but prepare for the worst’ attitude. A people with very little materially who willingly share their food and who help one another. A people who prize education and insist that children are in school from 08:00 to 17:00 on the basis that only an educated youth will succeed in a peaceful protest against their Chinese occupiers. There is much for the Western mind to learn from them.

Things I take away with me:

We can die before death comes. Don’t.

Courage ensures victory just as he small waves pound on the rocks gradually eroding. You have to be unrelenting in the pursuit of compassion and a full life. When we face a boulder in our life’s path, we need to dip into our limitless reserves of inner strength and apply every ounce of our being to overcome the problem. The small acts of daily living separate the strong from the weak.

Everyone has a happiness set point. We win the lottery and our happiness increases: our wife dies and we fall into despair. Life is a journey with hills and crevices. Happiness is the strength to overcome those obstacles. Our general attitude creates our set point. Let our set point be low and appreciative of the small things.

If you touch the sea, the water you touch would perhaps be the last of what has passed and the first of what is to come. So it is with life. It is the present moment that calls to be treasured, for soon it will slip away forever.

We misunderstand karma in the West. The Buddhist view is that we must take personal responsibility now for bad that we have done and transform suffering into value-creating experiences. It is not fixed or fatalistic. Inherent in all negative experience is the potential to have a profound positive experience.

Our final night saw us take to the roof of our accommodation for a group photo; within minutes a rare double rainbow appeared. ‘A most auspicious ending’ to our experience.

My Buddhist Experience: After immersing myself in Tibetan culture and religion, I can confirm that I’m still not a Buddhist; but in understanding that the key to ‘finding oneself’ is to let go of any notion of how life should be, to live in the moment and to simply ‘be happy’ it may just be that I rediscovered what it’s all about.

The purpose of life
ONE GREAT QUESTION underlies our experience, whether we think about it consciously or not: What is the purpose of life? I have considered this question and would like to share my thoughts in the hope that they may be of direct, practical benefit to those who read them.

I believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. From the moment of birth, every human being wants happiness and does not want suffering. Neither social conditioning nor education nor ideology affect this. From the very core of our being, we simply desire contentment. I don’t know whether the universe, with its countless galaxies, stars and planets, has a deeper meaning or not, but at the very least, it is clear that we humans who live on this earth face the task of making a happy life for ourselves. Therefore, it is important to discover what will bring about the greatest degree of happiness.

How to achieve happiness
For a start, it is possible to divide every kind of happiness and suffering into two main categories: mental and physical. Of the two, it is the mind that exerts the greatest influence on most of us. Unless we are either gravely ill or deprived of basic necessities, our physical condition plays a secondary role in life. If the body is content, we virtually ignore it. The mind, however, registers every event, no matter how small. Hence we should devote our most serious efforts to bringing about mental peace.

From my own limited experience I have found that the greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion.

The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes. Cultivating a close, warm-hearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. This helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the ultimate source of success in life.

As long as we live in this world we are bound to encounter problems. If, at such times, we lose hope and become discouraged, we diminish our ability to face difficulties. If, on the other hand, we remember that it is not just ourselves but every one who has to undergo suffering, this more realistic perspective will increase our determination and capacity to overcome troubles. Indeed, with this attitude, each new obstacle can be seen as yet another valuable opportunity to improve our mind!

Thus we can strive gradually to become more compassionate, that is we can develop both genuine sympathy for others’ suffering and the will to help remove their pain. As a result, our own serenity and inner strength will increase.

Our need for love
Ultimately, the reason why love and compassion bring the greatest happiness is simply that our nature cherishes them above all else. The need for love lies at the very foundation of human existence. It results from the profound interdependence we all share with one another. However capable and skillful an individual may be, left alone, he or she will not survive. However vigorous and independent one may feel during the most prosperous periods of life, when one is sick or very young or very old, one must depend on the support of others.

Inter-dependence, of course, is a fundamental law of nature. Not only higher forms of life but also many of the smallest insects are social beings who, without any religion, law or education, survive by mutual cooperation based on an innate recognition of their interconnectedness. The most subtle level of material phenomena is also governed by interdependence. All phenomena from the planet we inhabit to the oceans, clouds, forests and flowers that surround us, arise in dependence upon subtle patterns of energy. Without their proper interaction, they dissolve and decay.

It is because our own human existence is so dependent on the help of others that our need for love lies at the very foundation of our existence. Therefore we need a genuine sense of responsibility and a sincere concern for the welfare of others.

We have to consider what we human beings really are. We are not like machine-made objects. If we are merely mechanical entities, then machines themselves could alleviate all of our sufferings and fulfill our needs.

However, since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. Instead, we should consider our origins and nature to discover what we require.

Leaving aside the complex question of the creation and evolution of our universe, we can at least agree that each of us is the product of our own parents. In general, our conception took place not just in the context of sexual desire but from our parents’ decision to have a child. Such decisions are founded on responsibility and altruism – the parents compassionate commitment to care of their child until it is able to take care of itself. Thus, from the very moment of our conception, our parents’ love is directly in our creation.

Moreover, we are completely dependent upon our mothers’ care from the earliest stages of our growth. According to some scientists, a pregnant woman’s mental state, be it calm or agitated, has a direct physical effect on her unborn child.

The expression of love is also very important at the time of birth. Since the very first thing we do is suck milk from our mothers’ breast, we naturally feel close to her, and she must feel love for us in order to feed us properly; if she feels anger or resentment her milk may not flow freely.

Then there is the critical period of brain development from the time of birth up to at least the age of three or four, during which time loving physical contact is the single most important factor for the normal growth of the child. If the child is not held, hugged, cuddled, or loved, its development will be impaired and its brain will not mature properly.

Since a child cannot survive without the care of others, love is its most important nourishment. The happiness of childhood, the allaying of the child’s many fears and the healthy development of its self-confidence all depend directly upon love.

Nowadays, many children grow up in unhappy homes. If they do not receive proper affection, in later life they will rarely love their parents and, not infrequently, will find it hard to love others. This is very sad.

As children grow older and enter school, their need for support must be met by their teachers. If a teacher not only imparts academic education but also assumes responsibility for preparing students for life, his or her pupils will feel trust and respect and what has been taught will leave an indelible impression on their minds. On the other hand, subjects taught by a teacher who does not show true concern for his or her students’ overall well-being will be regarded as temporary and not retained for long.

Similarly, if one is sick and being treated in hospital by a doctor who evinces a warm human feeling, one feels at ease and the doctors’ desire to give the best possible care is itself curative, irrespective of the degree of his or her technical skill. On the other hand, if one’s doctor lacks human feeling and displays an unfriendly expression, impatience or casual disregard, one will feel anxious, even if he or she is the most highly qualified doctor and the disease has been correctly diagnosed and the right medication prescribed. Inevitably, patients’ feelings make a difference to the quality and completeness of their recovery.

Even when we engage in ordinary conversation in everyday life, if someone speaks with human feeling we enjoy listening, and respond accordingly; the whole conversation becomes interesting, however unimportant the topic may be. On the other hand, if a person speaks coldly or harshly, we feel uneasy and wish for a quick end to the interaction. From the least to the most important event, the affection and respect of others are vital for our happiness.

Recently I met a group of scientists in America who said that the rate of mental illness in their country was quite high-around twelve percent of the population. It became clear during our discussion that the main cause of depression was not a lack of material necessities but a deprivation of the affection of the others.

So, as you can see from everything I have written so far, one thing seems clear to me: whether or not we are consciously aware of it, from the day we are born, the need for human affection is in our very blood. Even if the affection comes from an animal or someone we would normally consider an enemy, both children and adults will naturally gravitate towards it.

I believe that no one is born free from the need for love. And this demonstrates that, although some modern schools of thought seek to do so, human beings cannot be defined as solely physical. No material object, however beautiful or valuable, can make us feel loved, because our deeper identity and true character lie in the subjective nature of the mind.

Developing compassion
Some of my friends have told me that, while love and compassion are marvelous and good, they are not really very relevant. Our world, they say, is not a place where such beliefs have much influence or power. They claim that anger and hatred are so much a part of human nature that humanity will always be dominated by them. I do not agree.

We humans have existed in our present form for about a hundred-thousand years. I believe that if during this time the human mind had been primarily controlled by anger and hatred, our overall population would have decreased. But today, despite all our wars, we find that the human population is greater than ever. This clearly indicates to me that love and compassion predominate in the world. And this is why unpleasant events are news, compassionate activities are so much part of daily life that they are taken for granted and, therefore, largely ignored.

So far I have been discussing mainly the mental benefits of compassion, but it contributes to good physical health as well, According to my personal experience, mental stability and physical well-being are directly related. Without question, anger and agitation make us more susceptible to illness. On the other hand, if the mind is tranquil and occupied with positive thoughts, the body will not easily fall prey to disease.

But of course it is also true that we all have an innate self-centeredness that inhibits our love for others. So, since we desire the true happiness that is brought about by only a calm mind, and since such peace of mind is brought about by only a compassionate attitude, how can we develop this? Obviously, it is not enough for us simply to think about how nice compassion is! We need to make a concerted effort to develop it; we must use all the events of our daily life to transform our thoughts and behavior.

First of all, we must be clear about what we mean by compassion. Many forms of compassionate feeling are mixed with desire and attachment. For instance, the love parents feel of their child is often strongly associated with their own emotional needs, so it is not fully compassionate. Again, in marriage, the love between husband and wife – particularly at the beginning, when each partner still may not know the other’s deeper character very well – depends more on attachment than genuine love. Our desire can be so strong that the person to whom we are attached appears to be good, when in fact he or she is very negative. In addition, we have a tendency to exaggerate small positive qualities. Thus when one partner’s attitude changes, the other partner is often disappointed and his or her attitude changes too. This is an indication that love has been motivated more by personal need than by genuine care for the other individual.

True compassion is not just an emotional response but a firm commitment founded on reason. Therefore, a truly compassionate attitude towards others does not change even if they behave negatively.

Of course, developing this kind of compassion is not at all easy! As a start, let us consider the following facts:
Whether people are beautiful and friendly or unattractive and disruptive, ultimately they are human beings, just like oneself. Like oneself, they want happiness and do not want suffering. Furthermore, their right to overcome suffering and be happy is equal to one’s own. Now, when you recognize that all beings are equal in both their desire for happiness and their right to obtain it, you automatically feel empathy and closeness for them. Through accustoming your mind to this sense of universal altruism, you develop a feeling of responsibility for others: the wish to help them actively overcome their problems. Nor is this wish selective; it applies equally to all. As long as they are human beings experiencing pleasure and pain just as you do, there is no logical basis to discriminate between them or to alter your concern for them if they behave negatively.

Let me emphasize that it is within your power, given patience and time, to develop this kind of compassion. Of course, our self-centeredness, our distinctive attachment to the feeling of an independent, self-existent ï¿½Iï¿½, works fundamentally to inhibit our compassion. Indeed, true compassion can be experienced only when this type of self- grasping is eliminated. But this does not mean that we cannot start and make progress now.

How can we start
We should begin by removing the greatest hindrances to compassion: anger and hatred. As we all know, these are extremely powerful emotions and they can overwhelm our entire mind. Nevertheless, they can be controlled. If, however, they are not, these negative emotions will plague us – with no extra effort on their part! – and impede our quest for the happiness of a loving mind.

So as a start, it is useful to investigate whether or not anger is of value. Sometimes, when we are discouraged by a difficult situation, anger does seem helpful, appearing to bring with it more energy, confidence and determination.

Here, though, we must examine our mental state carefully. While itis true that anger brings extra energy, if we explore the nature of this energy, we discover that it is blind: we cannot be sure whether its result will be positive or negative. This is because anger eclipses the best part of our brain: its rationality. So the energy of anger is almost always unreliable. It can cause an immense amount of destructive, unfortunate behavior. Moreover, if anger increases to the extreme, one becomes like a mad person, acting in ways that are as damaging to oneself as they are to others.

It is possible, however, to develop an equally forceful but far more controlled energy with which to handle difficult situations.

This controlled energy comes not only from a compassionate attitude, but also from reason and patience. These are the most powerful antidotes to anger. Unfortunately, many people misjudge these qualities as signs of weakness. I believe the opposite to be true: that they are the true signs of inner strength. Compassion is by nature gentle, peaceful and soft, but it is very powerful. It is those who easily lose their patience who are insecure and unstable. Thus, to me, the arousal of anger is a direct sign of weakness.

So, when a problem first arises, try to remain humble and maintain a sincere attitude and be concerned that the outcome is fair. Of course, others may try to take advantage of you, and if your remaining detached only encourages unjust aggression, adopt a strong stand, This, however, should be done with compassion, and if it is necessary to express your views and take strong countermeasures, do so without anger or ill-intent.
You should realize that even though your opponents appear to be harming you, in the end, their destructive activity will damage only themselves. In order to check your own selfish impulse to retaliate, you should recall your desire to practice compassion and assume responsibility for helping prevent the other person from suffering the consequences of his or her acts.

Thus, because the measures you employ have been calmly chosen, they will be more effective, more accurate and more forceful. Retaliation based on the blind energy of anger seldom hits the target.

Friends and enemies
I must emphasize again that merely thinking that compassion and reason and patience are good will not be enough to develop them. We must wait for difficulties to arise and then attempt to practice them.

And who creates such opportunities? Not our friends, of course, but our enemies. They are the ones who give us the most trouble, So if we truly wish to learn, we should consider enemies to be our best teacher!

For a person who cherishes compassion and love, the practice of tolerance is essential, and for that, an enemy is indispensable. So we should feel grateful to our enemies, for it is they who can best help us develop a tranquil mind! Also, itis often the case in both personal and public life, that with a change in circumstances, enemies become friends.

So anger and hatred are always harmful, and unless we train our minds and work to reduce their negative force, they will continue to disturb us and disrupt our attempts to develop a calm mind. Anger and hatred are our real enemies. These are the forces we most need to confront and defeat, not the temporary enemies who appear intermittently throughout life.

Of course, it is natural and right that we all want friends. I often joke that if you really want to be selfish, you should be very altruistic! You should take good care of others, be concerned for their welfare, help them, serve them, make more friends, make more smiles, The result? When you yourself need help, you find plenty of helpers! If, on the other hand, you neglect the happiness of others, in the long term you will be the loser. And is friendship produced through quarrels and anger, jealousy and intense competitiveness? I do not think so. Only affection brings us genuine close friends.

In today’s materialistic society, if you have money and power, you seem to have many friends. But they are not friends of yours; they are the friends of your money and power. When you lose your wealth and influence, you will find it very difficult to track these people down.

The trouble is that when things in the world go well for us, we become confident that we can manage by ourselves and feel we do not need friends, but as our status and health decline, we quickly realize how wrong we were. That is the moment when we learn who is really helpful and who is completely useless. So to prepare for that moment, to make genuine friends who will help us when the need arises, we ourselves must cultivate altruism!
Though sometimes people laugh when I say it, I myself always want more friends. I love smiles. Because of this I have the problem of knowing how to make more friends and how to get more smiles, in particular, genuine smiles. For there are many kinds of smile, such as sarcastic, artificial or diplomatic smiles. Many smiles produce no feeling of satisfaction, and sometimes they can even create suspicion or fear, can’t they? But a genuine smile really gives us a feeling of freshness and is, I believe, unique to human beings. If these are the smiles we want, then we ourselves must create the reasons for them to appear.

Compassion and the world
In conclusion, I would like briefly to expand my thoughts beyond the topic of this short piece and make a wider point: individual happiness can contribute in a profound and effective way to the overall improvement of our entire human community.

Because we all share an identical need for love, it is possible to feel that anybody we meet, in whatever circumstances, is a brother or sister. No matter how new the face or how different the dress and behavior, there is no significant division between us and other people. It is foolish to dwell on external differences, because our basic natures are the same.

Ultimately, humanity is one and this small planet is our only home, If we are to protect this home of ours, each of us needs to experience a vivid sense of universal altruism. It is only this feeling that can remove the self-centered motives that cause people to deceive and misuse one another.

If you have a sincere and open heart, you naturally feel self- worth and confidence, and there is no need to be fearful of others.

I believe that at every level of society – familial, tribal, national and international – the key to a happier and more successful world is the growth of compassion. We do not need to become religious, nor do we need to believe in an ideology. All that is necessary is for each of us to develop our good human qualities.

I try to treat whoever I meet as an old friend. This gives me a genuine feeling of happiness. It is the practice of compassion.

Bodhgaya is the sacred place where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment and also His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave 5 times of the Kalachakra teaching and Initiation in Bodhgaya.

Here are some useful tips and information for those planning to attend the Dalai Lama teaching in Bodhgaya :

How to get Visa for INDIA ?

The Government of India has taken necessary steps to help tourists by introducing the e-tourist visa scheme for foreign nationals who visit the country for a short duration. Interested individuals can apply for a visa online and have to carry a printout of the e-Tourist visa at the time of travel. Please visit the Indian govt site: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html to apply for the e-tourist visa.

When do you register for teaching in Bodhgaya ? All the Pilgrims are required to register for Teaching. To obtain a pass and attend teachings, all pilgrims including Foreign national, Tibetans and Indians have to submit copies of their passports or identity cards.

You can register at Bodh Gaya during the teaching.

Kindly ensure that you bring your Passport (for foreigners), Passports or Aadhaar Card or Voter ID (for Indian/Himalayan region) and Green Book or RC (for Tibetan monks and nuns) along with your Registration Form at the registration counter at Bodh Gaya to collect your teaching ID card.

Fee for registration for Teaching? There is no registration fee for Kalachakra Bodhgaya event and the teachings are open to everyone.

Weather and what to take

His Holiness teaching and our retreat will takes place from early January, winter time when the weather is pleasantly dry, warm and sunny. During the day, the temperature is usually somewhere between 20-30ºC (68 to 86ºF), but early mornings and evenings it can drop as low as 4 or 5 ºC (40ºF). Bring layers of clothing to wear and a pair of new slippers or thick socks to wear at the Temple.

Make sure that your vaccinations are up-to-date, especially for Hepatitis. Bring an adequate supply of prescription medicines, over the counter medications such as ibuprofen and nutrient supplements if you use them. Have your doctor recommend a basic travel medical kit.

You should bring sun screen lotion, moisturizer, and lip balm and a good quality hand sanitizer, Pepto-Bismol tablets, sun hat, and oral rehydration sachets. You will be able to buy purified water for drinking, cleaning your teeth etc. A thermos bottle and a heating coil (with the proper adaptor) can be very handy, especially if you bring packets of instant soup or coffee or tea bags. The bottle and coil allow you to refresh in your hotel room.

Sleeping bags are recommended for those choosing a budget or middle price hotel, or a guest house.

You must have an FM radio with earphones to get a translation of the talks, rituals and other events in your language. Do not bring a device without earphones as you will disturb everyone around you.

Which kind of accommodation available in Bodhgaya ?

Their are available of Hotel and guest house in Bodhgaya.

Availability and quality of food? Though there are a few restaurants that serve non-Indian food such as Thai, Tibetan, Italian and so on, the cuisine in Bodh Gaya is predominantly North Indian. People who find Indian cuisine too spicy are advised to carry some quantity of food along with them.

What if you fall sick? Healthcare in India is affordable and there are quite a few multi-specialty hospitals and healthcare centres in and around Bodh Gaya. Moreover, hospitals of excellent standards such as AIIMS, IGIMS and Ford are present in Patna, the capital city of Bihar, which is just over a 100 kilometres away from Bodh Gaya.

What kind of retreat tour package I should choose? It is advisable to choose tour packages which include flight ticket and accommodation in Bodhgaya and Delhi. Please note that the prices of air tickets during peak season could shoot up the roof.

What do I need to carry during the ceremony? You are advised to carry sun-screen and anti-UV creams, sunglasses, caps, water bottles, umbrellas, a mat to sit on the ground, ready-to-eat food such as cookies, an ID card and passport-size photos. Please remember that mobile phones are not permitted inside the premises.

Does Soulful Tours offer a Retreat and Pilgrimage tour packages? Yes. Soulful Tours offers travel packages along with accommodation, food, travel assistance and tour guides. These packages are carefully designed to help travelers get the best out of Kalachakra teachings at most affordable prices. Please see our below retreat tour packages here:

]]>https://kalachakrablog.wordpress.com/2016/06/14/helpful-tips-for-travelers-planning-to-attend-kalachakra-bodhgaya-2017/feed/0kalachakraretreatIMG_6809IMG_0099His Holiness reaffirms to live for 113 yearshttps://kalachakrablog.wordpress.com/2016/04/17/his-holiness-reaffirms-to-live-for-113-years/
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DHARAMSALA, April 16: His Holiness the Dalai Lama has reaffirmed to live for 113 years.

The Tibetan spiritual leader told a group of abbots not to worry as he is in good health and still has recurring dreams indicating that he will live for at least 113 years.

At a press conference held today at Namgyal Monastery’s Library in Mcleod Ganj, Jangchup Choeden, the abbot of Gaden Shartse announced the assurance he received from His Holiness, “His Holiness the Dalai Lama reaffirmed to live for 113 years,” he said.

Led by the Ganden Tripa, 9 abbots and 2 assistant abbots from Gelug monasteries held a meeting in Mcleod Ganj on April 14 to discuss about offering apologies for the recent turn of events during the Sikyong elections, which has saddened and disappointed His Holiness. The meeting was organized by the Gelug International Foundation.

Further discussions were held to make amends during the meeting and three resolutions were passed,” abbot Jangchup said.

Following are the three resolutions:

We offer our sincere apologies for saddening and disappointing His Holiness and promise to make amends to the best of our capabilities.

We pledge to work on establishing and strengthening unity among the Tibetan people from different provinces and sects and appeal to the leaders from other sects to address and advice on the same.

The abbots have met and held discussions with former Tibetan leaders, including former kalon Tripas, ministers and parliamentarians.

To appeal to the members of the current Kashag and the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile to avoid any kind of harm or threat to the Tibetan people’s strength derived from its unity. As such, we urge the current Kashag and members of the Parliament to implement the contents of the five-point letter submitted to them by former Tibetan leaders on April 11, in which they have urged the current leaders to maintain unity among the Tibetan people.

The abbots had an audience with His Holiness on April 15 during which they requested His Holiness to live a long life and presented the resolutions.

By Lobsang Tenchoe ( Tibet Express)

]]>https://kalachakrablog.wordpress.com/2016/04/17/his-holiness-reaffirms-to-live-for-113-years/feed/0kalachakraretreat2014-07-04-Kalachakra-G11Abbot of Gaden Shartse, Jangchup Choeden speaking to reporters during the press conference.Routine Day of H.H The Dalai Lamahttps://kalachakrablog.wordpress.com/2016/03/31/routine-day-of-h-h-the-dalai-lama/
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When asked by people how His Holiness the Dalai Lama sees himself, he replies that he is a simple Buddhist monk.

His Holiness is often out of Dharamsala on travels both within India and abroad. During these travels, His Holiness’s daily routine varies depending on his engagement schedule. However, His Holiness is an early riser and tries as far as possible to retire early in the evening.

When His Holiness is at home in Dharamsala, he wakes up at 3 am. After his morning shower, His Holiness begins the day with prayers, meditations and prostrations until 5 am. From 5 am His Holiness takes a short morning walk around the residential premises. If it is raining outside, His Holiness has a treadmill to use for his walk. Breakfast is served at 5.30 am. For breakfast, His Holiness typically has hot porridge, tsampa (barley powder), bread with preserves, and tea. Regularly during breakfast, His Holiness tunes his radio to the BBC World News in English. From 6 am to 9 am His Holiness continues his morning meditation and prayers. From around 9 am he usually spends time studying various Buddhist texts and commentaries written by great Buddhist masters. Lunch is served from 11.30 am. His Holiness’s kitchen in Dharamsala is vegetarian. However, during visits outside of Dharamsala, His Holiness is not necessarily vegetarian. Following strict vinaya rules, His Holiness does not have dinner. Should there be a need to discuss some work with his staff or hold some audiences and interviews, His Holiness will visit his office from 12.30 pm until around 3.30 pm. Typically, during an afternoon at the office one interview is scheduled along with several audiences, both Tibetan and non-Tibetan. Upon his return to his residence, His Holiness has his evening tea at around 5 pm. This is followed by his evening prayers and meditation. His Holiness retires in the evening by around 7 pm.

My fellow Tibetans, both in and outside Tibet, all those who follow the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and everyone who has a connection to Tibet and Tibetans: due to the foresight of our ancient kings, ministers and scholar-adepts, the complete teaching of the Buddha, comprising the scriptural and experiential teachings of the Three Vehicles and the Four Sets of Tantra and their related subjects and disciplines flourished widely in the Land of Snow. Tibet has served as a source of Buddhist and related cultural traditions for the world. In particular, it has contributed significantly to the happiness of countless beings in Asia, including those in China, Tibet and Mongolia.

In the course of upholding the Buddhist tradition in Tibet, we evolved a unique Tibetan tradition of recognizing the reincarnations of scholar-adepts that has been of immense help to both the Dharma and sentient beings, particularly to the monastic community.

Since the omniscient Gedun Gyatso was recognized and confirmed as the reincarnation of Gedun Drub in the fifteenth century and the Gaden Phodrang Labrang (the Dalai Lama’s institution) was established, successive reincarnations have been recognized. The third in the line, Sonam Gyatso, was given the title of the Dalai Lama. The Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso, established the Gaden Phodrang Government in 1642, becoming the spiritual and political head of Tibet. For more than 600 years since Gedun Drub, a series of unmistaken reincarnations has been recognised in the lineage of the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lamas have functioned as both the political and spiritual leaders of Tibet for 369 years since 1642. I have now voluntarily brought this to an end, proud and satisfied that we can pursue the kind of democratic system of government flourishing elsewhere in the world. In fact, as far back as 1969, I made clear that concerned people should decide whether the Dalai Lama’s reincarnations should continue in the future. However, in the absence of clear guidelines, should the concerned public express a strong wish for the Dalai Lamas to continue, there is an obvious risk of vested political interests misusing the reincarnation system to fulfil their own political agenda. Therefore, while I remain physically and mentally fit, it seems important to me that we draw up clear guidelines to recognise the next Dalai Lama, so that there is no room for doubt or deception. For these guidelines to be fully comprehensible, it is essential to understand the system of Tulku recognition and the basic concepts behind it. Therefore, I shall briefly explain them below.

Past and future lives

In order to accept reincarnation or the reality of Tulkus, we need to accept the existence of past and future lives. Sentient beings come to this present life from their previous lives and take rebirth again after death. This kind of continuous rebirth is accepted by all the ancient Indian spiritual traditions and schools of philosophy, except the Charvakas, who were a materialist movement. Some modern thinkers deny past and future lives on the premise that we cannot see them. Others do not draw such clear cut conclusions on this basis.

Although many religious traditions accept rebirth, they differ in their views of what it is that is reborn, how it is reborn, and how it passes through the transitional period between two lives. Some religious traditions accept the prospect of future life, but reject the idea of past lives.

Generally, Buddhists believe that there is no beginning to birth and that once we achieve liberation from the cycle of existence by overcoming our karma and destructive emotions, we will not be reborn under the sway of these conditions. Therefore, Buddhists believe that there is an end to being reborn as a result of karma and destructive emotions, but most Buddhist philosophical schools do not accept that the mind-stream comes to an end. To reject past and future rebirth would contradict the Buddhist concept of the ground, path and result, which must be explained on the basis of the disciplined or undisciplined mind. If we accept this argument, logically, we would also have to accept that the world and its inhabitants come about without causes and conditions. Therefore, as long as you are a Buddhist, it is necessary to accept past and future rebirth.

For those who remember their past lives, rebirth is a clear experience. However, most ordinary beings forget their past lives as they go through the process of death, intermediate state and rebirth. As past and future rebirths are slightly obscure to them, we need to use evidence-based logic to prove past and future rebirths to them.

There are many different logical arguments given in the words of the Buddha and subsequent commentaries to prove the existence of past and future lives. In brief, they come down to four points: the logic that things are preceded by things of a similar type, the logic that things are preceded by a substantial cause, the logic that the mind has gained familiarity with things in the past, and the logic of having gained experience of things in the past.

Ultimately all these arguments are based on the idea that the nature of the mind, its clarity and awareness, must have clarity and awareness as its substantial cause. It cannot have any other entity such as an inanimate object as its substantial cause. This is self-evident. Through logical analysis we infer that a new stream of clarity and awareness cannot come about without causes or from unrelated causes. While we observe that mind cannot be produced in a laboratory, we also infer that nothing can eliminate the continuity of subtle clarity and awareness.

As far as I know, no modern psychologist, physicist, or neuroscientist has been able to observe or predict the production of mind either from matter or without cause.

There are people who can remember their immediate past life or even many past lives, as well as being able to recognise places and relatives from those lives. This is not just something that happened in the past. Even today there are many people in the East and West, who can recall incidents and experiences from their past lives. Denying this is not an honest and impartial way of doing research, because it runs counter to this evidence. The Tibetan system of recognising reincarnations is an authentic mode of investigation based on people’s recollection of their past lives.

How rebirth takes place

There are two ways in which someone can take rebirth after death: rebirth under the sway of karma and destructive emotions and rebirth through the power of compassion and prayer. Regarding the first, due to ignorance negative and positive karma are created and their imprints remain on the consciousness. These are reactivated through craving and grasping, propelling us into the next life. We then take rebirth involuntarily in higher or lower realms. This is the way ordinary beings circle incessantly through existence like the turning of a wheel. Even under such circumstances ordinary beings can engage diligently with a positive aspiration in virtuous practices in their day-to-day lives. They familiarise themselves with virtue that at the time of death can be reactivated providing the means for them to take rebirth in a higher realm of existence. On the other hand, superior Bodhisattvas, who have attained the path of seeing, are not reborn through the force of their karma and destructive emotions, but due to the power of their compassion for sentient beings and based on their prayers to benefit others. They are able to choose their place and time of birth as well as their future parents. Such a rebirth, which is solely for the benefit of others, is rebirth through the force of compassion and prayer.

The meaning of Tulku

It seems the Tibetan custom of applying the epithet ‘Tulku’ (Buddha’s Emanation Body) to recognized reincarnations began when devotees used it as an honorary title, but it has since become a common expression. In general, the term Tulku refers to a particular aspect of the Buddha, one of the three or four described in the Sutra Vehicle. According to this explanation of these aspects of the Buddha, a person who is totally bound by destructive emotions and karma has the potential to achieve the Truth Body (Dharmakaya), comprising the Wisdom Truth Body and Nature Truth Body. The former refers to the enlightened mind of a Buddha, which sees everything directly and precisely, as it is, in an instant. It has been cleared of all destructive emotions, as well as their imprints, through the accumulation of merit and wisdom over a long period of time. The latter, the Nature Truth Body, refers to the empty nature of that all-knowing enlightened mind. These two together are aspects of the Buddhas for themselves. However, as they are not directly accessible to others, but only amongst the Buddhas themselves, it is imperative that the Buddhas manifest in physical forms that are accessible to sentient beings in order to help them. Hence, the ultimate physical aspect of a Buddha is the Body of Complete Enjoyment (Sambhogakaya), which is accessible to superior Bodhisattvas, and has five definite qualifications such as residing in the Akanishta Heaven. And from the Body of Complete Enjoyment are manifested the myriad Emanation Bodies or Tulkus (Nirmanakaya), of the Buddhas, which appear as gods or humans and are accessible even to ordinary beings. These two physical aspects of the Buddha are termed Form Bodies, which are meant for others.

The Emanation Body is three-fold: a) the Supreme Emanation Body like Shakyamuni Buddha, the historical Buddha, who manifested the twelve deeds of a Buddha such as being born in the place he chose and so forth; b) the Artistic Emanation Body which serves others by appearing as craftsmen, artists and so on; and c) the Incarnate Emanation Body, according to which Buddhas appear in various forms such as human beings, deities, rivers, bridges, medicinal plants, and trees to help sentient beings. Of these three types of Emanation Body, the reincarnations of spiritual masters recognized and known as ‘Tulkus’ in Tibet come under the third category. Among these Tulkus there may be many who are truly qualified Incarnate Emanation Bodies of the Buddhas, but this does not necessarily apply to all of them. Amongst the Tulkus of Tibet there may be those who are reincarnations of superior Bodhisattvas, Bodhisattvas on the paths of accumulation and preparation, as well as masters who are evidently yet to enter these Bodhisattva paths. Therefore, the title of Tulku is given to reincarnate Lamas either on the grounds of their resembling enlightened beings or through their connection to certain qualities of enlightened beings.

As Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo said:

“Reincarnation is what happens when someone takes rebirth after the predecessor’s passing away; emanation is when manifestations take place without the source’s passing away.”

Recognition of Reincarnations

The practice of recognizing who is who by identifying someone’s previous life occurred even when Shakyamuni Buddha himself was alive. Many accounts are found in the four Agama Sections of the Vinaya Pitaka, the Jataka Stories, the Sutra of the Wise and Foolish, the Sutra of One Hundred Karmas and so on, in which the Tathagata revealed the workings of karma, recounting innumerable stories about how the effects of certain karmas created in a past life are experienced by a person in his or her present life. Also, in the life stories of Indian masters, who lived after the Buddha, many reveal their previous places of birth. There are many such stories, but the system of recognizing and numbering their reincarnations did not occur in India.

The system of recognizing reincarnations in Tibet

Past and future lives were asserted in the indigenous Tibetan Bon tradition before the arrival of Buddhism. And since the spread of Buddhism in Tibet, virtually all Tibetans have believed in past and future lives. Investigating the reincarnations of many spiritual masters who upheld the Dharma, as well as the custom of praying devotedly to them, flourished everywhere in Tibet. Many authentic scriptures, indigenous Tibetan books such as the Mani Kabum and the Fivefold Kathang Teachings and others like the The Books of Kadam Disciples and the Jewel Garland: Responses to Queries, which were recounted by the glorious, incomparable Indian master Dipankara Atisha in the 11th century in Tibet, tell stories of the reincarnations of Arya Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion. However, the present tradition of formally recognizing the reincarnations of masters first began in the early 13th century with the recognition of Karmapa Pagshi as the reincarnation of Karmapa Dusum Khyenpa by his disciples in accordance with his prediction. Since then, there have been seventeen Karmapa incarnations over more than nine hundred years. Similarly, since the recognition of Kunga Sangmo as the reincarnation of Khandro Choekyi Dronme in the 15th century there have been more than ten incarnations of Samding Dorje Phagmo. So, among the Tulkus recognized in Tibet there are monastics and lay tantric practitioners, male and female. This system of recognizing the reincarnations gradually spread to other Tibetan Buddhist traditions, and Bon, in Tibet. Today, there are recognized Tulkus in all the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, the Sakya, Geluk, Kagyu and Nyingma, as well as Jonang and Bodong, who serve the Dharma. It is also evident that amongst these Tulkus some are a disgrace.

The omniscient Gedun Drub, who was a direct disciple of Je Tsongkhapa, founded Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Tsang and took care of his students. He passed away in 1474 at the age of 84. Although initially no efforts were made to identify his reincarnation, people were obliged to recognize a child named Sangye Chophel, who had been born in Tanak, Tsang (1476), because of what he had to say about his amazing and flawless recollections of his past life. Since then, a tradition began of searching for and recognizing the successive reincarnations of the Dalai Lamas by the Gaden Phodrang Labrang and later the Gaden Phodrang Government.

The ways of recognizing reincarnations

After the system of recognizing Tulkus came into being, various procedures for going about it began to develop and grow. Among these some of the most important involve the predecessor’s predictive letter and other instructions and indications that might occur; the reincarnation’s reliably recounting his previous life and speaking about it; identifying possessions belonging to the predecessor and recognizing people who had been close to him. Apart from these, additional methods include asking reliable spiritual masters for their divination as well as seeking the predictions of mundane oracles, who appear through mediums in trance, and observing the visions that manifest in sacred lakes of protectors like Lhamoi Latso, a sacred lake south of Lhasa.

When there happens to be more than one prospective candidate for recognition as a Tulku, and it becomes difficult to decide, there is a practice of making the final decision by divination employing the dough-ball method (zen tak) before a sacred image while calling upon the power of truth.

Emanation before the passing away of the predecessor (ma-dhey tulku)

Usually a reincarnation has to be someone’s taking rebirth as a human being after previously passing away. Ordinary sentient beings generally cannot manifest an emanation before death (ma-dhey tulku), but superior Bodhisattvas, who can manifest themselves in hundreds or thousands of bodies simultaneously, can manifest an emanation before death. Within the Tibetan system of recognizing Tulkus there are emanations who belong to the same mind-stream as the predecessor, emanations who are connected to others through the power of karma and prayers, and emanations who come as a result of blessings and appointment.

The main purpose of the appearance of a reincarnation is to continue the predecessor’s unfinished work to serve Dharma and beings. In the case of a Lama who is an ordinary being, instead of having a reincarnation belonging to the same mind-stream, someone else with connections to that Lama through pure karma and prayers may be recognized as his or her emanation. Alternatively it is possible for the Lama to appoint a successor who is either his disciple or someone young who is to be recognized as his emanation. Since these options are possible in the case of an ordinary being, an emanation before death that is not of the same mind-stream is feasible. In some cases one high Lama may have several reincarnations simultaneously, such as incarnations of body, speech and mind and so on. In recent times, there have been well-known emanations before death such as Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje and Chogye Trichen Ngawang Khyenrab.

Using the Golden Urn

As the degenerate age gets worse, and as more reincarnations of high Lamas are being recognized, some of them for political motives, increasing numbers have been recognized through inappropriate and questionable means, as a result of which huge damage has been done to the Dharma.

During the conflict between Tibet and the Gurkhas (1791-93) the Tibetan Government had to call on Manchu military support. Consequently the Gurkha military was expelled from Tibet, but afterwards Manchu officials made a 29-point proposal on the pretext of making the Tibetan Government’s administration more efficient. This proposal included the suggestion of picking lots from a Golden Urn to decide on the recognition of the reincarnations of the Dalai Lamas, Panchen Lamas and Hutuktus, a Mongolian title given to high Lamas. Therefore, this procedure was followed in the case of recognizing some reincarnations of the Dalai Lama, Panchen Lama and other high Lamas. The ritual to be followed was written by the Eighth Dalai Lama Jampel Gyatso. Even after such a system had been introduced, this procedure was dispensed with for the Ninth, Thirteenth and myself, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama.

Even in the case of the Tenth Dalai Lama, the authentic reincarnation had already been found and in reality this procedure was not followed, but in order to humour the Manchus it was merely announced that this procedure had been observed.

The Golden Urn system was actually used only in the cases of the Eleventh and Twelfth Dalai Lamas. However, the Twelfth Dalai Lama had already been recognized before the procedure was employed. Therefore, there has only been one occasion when a Dalai Lama was recognized by using this method. Likewise, among the reincarnations of the Panchen Lama, apart from the Eighth and the Ninth, there have been no instances of this method being employed. This system was imposed by the Manchus, but Tibetans had no faith in it because it lacked any spiritual quality. However, if it were to be used honestly, it seems that we could consider it as similar to the manner of divination employing the dough-ball method (zen tak).

In 1880, during the recognition of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of the Twelfth, traces of the Priest-Patron relationship between Tibet and the Manchus still existed. He was recognized as the unmistaken reincarnation by the Eighth Panchen Lama, the predictions of the Nechung and Samye oracles and by observing visions that appeared in Lhamoi Latso, therefore the Golden Urn procedure was not followed. This can be clearly understood from the Thirteenth Dalai Lama’s final testament of the Water-Monkey Year (1933) in which he states:

“As you all know, I was selected not in the customary way of picking lots from the golden urn, but my selection was foretold and divined. In accordance with these divinations and prophecies I was recognized as the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and enthroned.”

When I was recognized as the Fourteenth incarnation of the Dalai Lama in 1939, the Priest-Patron relationship between Tibet and China had already come to an end. Therefore, there was no question of any need to confirm the reincarnation by employing the Golden Urn. It is well-known that the then Regent of Tibet and the Tibetan National Assembly had followed the procedure for recognizing the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation taking account of the predictions of high Lamas, oracles and the visions seen in Lhamoi Latso; the Chinese had no involvement in it whatever. Nevertheless, some concerned officials of the Guomintang later cunningly spread lies in the newspapers claiming that they had agreed to forego the use of the Golden Urn and that Wu Chung-tsin presided over my enthronement, and so on. This lie was exposed by Ngabo Ngawang Jigme, the Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, who the People’s Republic of China considered to be a most progressive person, at the Second Session of the Fifth People’s Congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region (31st July 1989). This is clear, when, at the end of his speech, in which he gave a detailed explanation of events and presented documentary evidence, he demanded:

“What need is there for the Communist Party to follow suit and continue the lies of the Guomintang?”

Deceptive strategy and false hopes

In the recent past, there have been cases of irresponsible managers of wealthy Lama-estates who indulged in improper methods to recognize reincarnations, which have undermined the Dharma, the monastic community and our society. Moreover, since the Manchu era Chinese political authorities repeatedly engaged in various deceitful means using Buddhism, Buddhist masters and Tulkus as tools to fulfil their political ends as they involved themselves in Tibetan and Mongolian affairs. Today, the authoritarian rulers of the People’s Republic of China, who as communists reject religion, but still involve themselves in religious affairs, have imposed a so-called re-education campaign and declared the so-called Order No. Five, concerning the control and recognition of reincarnations, which came into force on 1st September 2007. This is outrageous and disgraceful. The enforcement of various inappropriate methods for recognizing reincarnations to eradicate our unique Tibetan cultural traditions is doing damage that will be difficult to repair.

Moreover, they say they are waiting for my death and will recognize a Fifteenth Dalai Lama of their choice. It is clear from their recent rules and regulations and subsequent declarations that they have a detailed strategy to deceive Tibetans, followers of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and the world community. Therefore, as I have a responsibility to protect the Dharma and sentient beings and counter such detrimental schemes, I make the following declaration.

The next incarnation of the Dalai Lama

As I mentioned earlier, reincarnation is a phenomenon which should take place either through the voluntary choice of the concerned person or at least on the strength of his or her karma, merit and prayers. Therefore, the person who reincarnates has sole legitimate authority over where and how he or she takes rebirth and how that reincarnation is to be recognized. It is a reality that no one else can force the person concerned, or manipulate him or her. It is particularly inappropriate for Chinese communists, who explicitly reject even the idea of past and future lives, let alone the concept of reincarnate Tulkus, to meddle in the system of reincarnation and especially the reincarnations of the Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas. Such brazen meddling contradicts their own political ideology and reveals their double standards. Should this situation continue in the future, it will be impossible for Tibetans and those who follow the Tibetan Buddhist tradition to acknowledge or accept it.

When I am about ninety I will consult the high Lamas of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, the Tibetan public, and other concerned people who follow Tibetan Buddhism, and re-evaluate whether the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue or not. On that basis we will take a decision. If it is decided that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama should continue and there is a need for the Fifteenth Dalai Lama to be recognized, responsibility for doing so will primarily rest on the concerned officers of the Dalai Lama’s Gaden Phodrang Trust. They should consult the various heads of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions and the reliable oath-bound Dharma Protectors who are linked inseparably to the lineage of the Dalai Lamas. They should seek advice and direction from these concerned beings and carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition. I shall leave clear written instructions about this. Bear in mind that, apart from the reincarnation recognized through such legitimate methods, no recognition or acceptance should be given to a candidate chosen for political ends by anyone, including those in the People’s Republic of China.

For those who aspire to engage in the practice of Kalachakra, it is important to establish a connection with an authentic Kalachakra teacher who is capable of guiding you through the complete Kalachakra system. It is therefore important to identify who are the holders of these teachings and where to find them.

The Kalachakra Initiation

The Kalachakra Path is fully integrated with the foundational practices of the sutra tradition of Buddhism as taught by Shakyamuni Buddha, but in order to practice Kalachakra, it is necessary to be formally invited, which is the primary purpose of taking an initiation. As is evident, receiving an invitation to this great path is based on causes and conditions of both the receiver and the giver – simply attending the ceremony does not guarantee that one will receive true initiation. So too, the ceremony may form a connection to the path yet it is not the path. One can liken Kalachakra initiation to receiving a seed for practice however it is the practitioner that plants, nurtures and cultivates the seed. Qualified teachers for giving the Kalachakra initiation should have completed extensive practice (retreat) of the generation and completion stage practices. It is not enough simply to receive the initiation and then pass it on to others.

Who teaches Kalachakra?

For those who aspire to engage in the practice of Kalachakra, it is important to establish a connection with an authentic Kalachakra teacher who is capable of guiding you through the complete Kalachakra system. It is therefore important to identify who are the holders of these teachings and where to find them.

The Kalachakra Initiation

The Kalachakra Path is fully integrated with the foundational practices of the sutra tradition of Buddhism as taught by Shakyamuni Buddha, but in order to practice Kalachakra, it is necessary to be formally invited, which is the primary purpose of taking an initiation. As is evident, receiving an invitation to this great path is based on causes and conditions of both the receiver and the giver – simply attending the ceremony does not guarantee that one will receive true initiation. So too, the ceremony may form a connection to the path yet it is not the path. One can liken Kalachakra initiation to receiving a seed for practice however it is the practitioner that plants, nurtures and cultivates the seed. Qualified teachers for giving the Kalachakra initiation should have completed extensive practice (retreat) of the generation and completion stage practices. It is not enough simply to receive the initiation and then pass it on to others.

Dharamshala — The spiritual leader of Tibet His Holiness the Dalai Lama again topped the 2016 list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People, published byWatkins’ Mind Body Spirit magazine.

Presented annually since 2011 in the spring issue of the quarterly publication, the list – also known as the Spiritual 100 – compiles the most spiritually prominent people of the past year.

“We are delighted to share with you Watkins’ 2016 list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People – spiritual teachers, activists, authors and thinkers that change the world,” the magazine said.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, His Holiness the Dalai Lama was recognised in front of Pope Francis and South African retired Anglican bishop Desmond Tutu who were placed second and third respectively. Others listed include German spiritual teacher and writer Eckhart Tolle (fourth), Indian American author and public speaker Deepak Chopra (fifth), Brazilian novelist and author of The Alchemist Paulo Coelho (sixth), American novelist, short story writer, poet, and activist Alice Malsenior Walker (Seventh), Australian television writer and producer Rhonda Byrne (eighth), Chilean filmmaker and director of El Topo Alejandro Jodorowsky (Nineth), American talk show host Oprah Winfrey (tenth), Greek American author and co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post- Arianna Huffington (fifteenth) and British author and commentator known for her books on comparative religion Karen Armstrong (twentith).

The Magazine also said that “there are plenty of newcomers on this year’s list including the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, psychologist and author Daniel Goleman, physicist and environmental activist Vandana Shiva and poet and philosopher Mark Nepo.”

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

This is just one of the many often-quoted statements from His Holiness the Dalai Lama that continue to land him on top of global lists of influential and inspiring world religious leaders. For several years now, Watkins Magazine has placed the Tibetan spiritual leader at the top of their list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People. He was #1 in 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012. In their 2016 list, published earlier this month, the Tibetan spiritual leader is once again #1.

#21. Jon Kabat-Zinn: Also not a Buddhist per se, but Kabat-Zinn did study with a number of Buddhist teachers before developing the now wide-spread Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).

#25. Sam Harris: One of the “Four Horsemen” of New Atheism, has taken up the practice of vipassana, derived from the early Buddhist tradition, and even teaches it – stripped of aspects he considers religious.

#34. Daniel Goleman: A well known psychologist and long time scholar of meditation who has worked closely with the Dalai Lama for over a decade. One of his breakthrough books was Emotional Intelligence (1995), and later works include Destructive Emotions: A Scientific Dialogue with the Dalai Lama (2003) and Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence (2015).

#36 is Gary Snyder, #38 is Pema Chödrön, #50 is Robert Thurman, #65 is Thich Nhat Hanh, #66 is Jack Kornfield, #68 is Ajahn Brahm, #78 is Tara Brach, #82 is Huston Smith (another wonderful scholar of many world religions, including Buddhism), #89 is Richard Gere, #95 is Sogyal Rinpoche, and #99 is Sharon Salzberg.

The magazine states that the list is compiled based on three factors: “1. The person has to be alive as of January 1st, 2016. 2. The person has to have made a unique and spiritual contribution on a global scale. 3. The person is frequently googled, appears in Nielsen Data, and is actively talked about throughout the Internet.”

“By taking into account the amount of times that a person is googled or how many times their Wikipedia profile is viewed, the list gains a highly democratic parameter. In a sense, being googled is a form of digital voting, and illustrates just how often someone is being sought out,” it added.

According to Mind Body Spirit, the list is not a competition but “is meant to celebrate the positive influence of contemporary spiritual teachers.”

Watkins Mind Body and Spirit magazine is sold and published by Watkins Books, England’s oldest and largest esoteric bookshop that has been trading since 1893.